as in erupted
to develop suddenly and violently
in the wake of news reports of deaths from the flu, panic broke out, and there was a mad rush for flu shots
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Recent Examples of broken out
In Minneapolis, confrontations have broken out and multiple protesters have been arrested.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Heineman, who was an afterthought for many in the Dobson trade, has broken out as a complementary top-six contributor.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But soon enough, the tiny fire truck has lost its wheels and a fight has broken out over whose Care Bears keychain is cooler, though neither of my children has ever owned a key.
—Mandy Len Catron, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Violent protests have broken out in the Mexican state of Michoacán over the murder of an outspoken anti-crime mayor, who was killed over the weekend while taking part in a Day of the Dead celebration.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
By the time the wage board announced that the lowest-grade workers would receive 12,500 Bangladeshi taka ($102) per month, full-fledged riots had broken out, drawing police gunfire that killed three workers and resulting in a factory blaze that caused the death of a fourth.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
The ratio has also broken out above the 40-week moving average — an additional positive catalyst in relative terms.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.
—Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
No Spanish filmmaker has broken out to such quick auteurist stardom in the last five years than Alauda Ruiz de Azúa.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Heineman, who was an afterthought for many in the Dobson trade, has broken out as a complementary top-six contributor.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
But soon enough, the tiny fire truck has lost its wheels and a fight has broken out over whose Care Bears keychain is cooler, though neither of my children has ever owned a key.
—Mandy Len Catron, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Violent protests have broken out in the Mexican state of Michoacán over the murder of an outspoken anti-crime mayor, who was killed over the weekend while taking part in a Day of the Dead celebration.
—Max Saltman, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
By the time the wage board announced that the lowest-grade workers would receive 12,500 Bangladeshi taka ($102) per month, full-fledged riots had broken out, drawing police gunfire that killed three workers and resulting in a factory blaze that caused the death of a fourth.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
The ratio has also broken out above the 40-week moving average — an additional positive catalyst in relative terms.
—Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
In Pennsylvania, lawmakers have still not broken out of the impasse, spelling financial distress for schools and counties that rely particularly heavily on state funding.
—Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
No Spanish filmmaker has broken out to such quick auteurist stardom in the last five years than Alauda Ruiz de Azúa.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken out
Verb
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Protests have erupted in American cities since.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
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Shocking allegations have erupted from the Moore administration’s Department of Human Services surrounding an alleged scheme to intentionally maintain a high error rate in SNAP payments.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What’s interesting to me is, when One Direction started out, you guys exploded not only because of the music, but because of your personalities.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
12 Jan. 2026
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In 2005, gas cylinders exploded in the basement of an apartment building in Pakistan, causing the three-story structure to collapse.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20out. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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